The second beta of Mandriva Linux 2008, codenamed Galilee, is now available. The release notes are available here. A guide to major new features (some of which are not yet implemented in this beta) is available here, and the detailed technical specifications are available here. This beta is available as a three CD or one DVD Free edition (containing no non-free software or drivers) for the x86-32 and x86-64 architectures, with a traditional installer. Future betas will be available in One live/install CD hybrid editions with proprietary drivers.

I agree, I had a very good experience when I last tried Mandriva. Aside from many legally included codecs, it has one of the best and easiest disk partitioners (which eased my first ever Linux installation two years back), an awesome control center, and not to mention the alternative "3D" desktop Metisse included as an option.

As for Ubuntu, one of my main reasons for using it is the solid forte it has in its community. It may be no better or worse than other distros, but it's kind of where the party's at (or more accurately, the busy intersection where you're more likely to get directions).

"As for Ubuntu, one of my main reasons for using it is the solid forte it has in its community. It may be no better or worse than other distros, but it's kind of where the party's at (or more accurately, the busy intersection where you're more likely to get directions)."

Interesting, when I started using Linux about 10 years ago, the same thing would have been said about Mandrake.

In this respect, I do agree that Mandrake squandered its huge lead over other distributions by having for a long time one of the poorest web sites one could find, along with being unable to deliver a consistent and clear message to the community about their roadmaps and products.

Ubuntu, from a marketing standpoint, has been a case study on how to do things well. From a technical standpoint, it does many things very well, but cannot be placed (in my opinion) alongside Red Hat, Suse or Mandrake, at least not yet.

Ubuntu, however, is good enough for many things and many users will continue to flock to it thanks to its welcoming and friendly community.

Here´s a free tip to Mandrake: outsourcing your forums was one of your poorest decisions as was creating two types of forums, the club ones where some users could post and the external ones open to all. I believe some of this may have changed, but it would take some very strong leadership to unify the disperse Mandriva communities so that new users would have an easier time finding their way around. After all, some of the arguments made here are that there is indeed safety in numbers and some users have even expressed their willingness to choose a product that they considered slightly inferior because they perceive it has a more vibrant community.